Pope Leo XIV Makes History as First Pontiff to Vote in U.S. Election — Amid Ongoing Feud With Donald Trump

Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope known to vote in a U.S. general election after casting a mail-in ballot from the Vatican for Illinois' Nov. 3 midterm elections.

The Chicago-born pontiff, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, remains a registered Illinois voter. The Vatican confirmed Friday that he submitted his ballot in Chicago and said Leo believes citizens have both the right and duty to participate in democratic processes.

Leo, 71, also voted while living in Peru whenever he was eligible, according to the Holy See. He spent more than two decades in the country as a missionary priest and bishop.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that Leo had requested a mail ballot through the Will County clerk's office. He made the request Oct. 3 and remains registered at an address in New Lenox, Illinois.

His ballot includes the Illinois governor's race, in which Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking reelection, as well as the U.S. Senate contest to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin and local races.

It was initially unclear how the ballot made its way back to Illinois. Leo's older brother, John Prevost, was in Rome this week with parishioners from St. Jude's, an Augustinian-run parish in New Lenox.

The vote comes shortly after Leo underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.

Doctors confirmed the removed tissue contained lung adenocarcinoma, but the Vatican later said the cancer was localized and that no further treatment was necessary.

Illinois election records show Prevost has voted in general elections since 2000 except in 2020 and 2022.

His history also includes five primary elections, with Democratic ballots requested in 2008 and 2010 and Republican ballots requested in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The records do not indicate which candidates he supported. Illinois does not require voters to register with a political party for general elections, while voters select a party ballot when participating in a primary.

His latest vote does not indicate a political affiliation, either. The Vatican framed the decision as civic participation rather than a political endorsement.

The Illinois election has national significance beyond Leo's historic ballot. Voters will decide whether Pritzker wins a third term and who succeeds Durbin in the Senate.

The vote also comes against the backdrop of Leo's earlier public disagreements with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran and the administration's immigration policies.

Those tensions have eased in recent months, however, making the description of an "ongoing feud" less precise than it once was.

Earlier this year, Trump criticized Leo as "weak" and attacked his foreign policy views after the pope spoke against the war in Iran.

Leo responded that he was not afraid of the Trump administration and would continue speaking about the church's message and opposition to war.

Trump also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure after criticizing Leo, drawing backlash from religious critics.

The relationship between the White House and the Holy See has since become less publicly confrontational. Still, Leo's historic ballot puts his U.S. citizenship and personal participation in American democracy in the spotlight as voters head to the polls.